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The Dire Wolf is Back...Maybe
Three new babies have gotten a lot of attention – which happens when you attempt to bring back the dead! Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company that has recreated the extinct dire wolf and cloned three puppies. The company’s mission is the de-extinction of megafauna. According to the World Animal Foundation, half of all animal species on Earth could become extinct by 2050.
The company’s solution to this loss of biodiversity is to use advanced gene editing to rebuild or preserve DNA and genomes of extinct animals, ensuring they can thrive while facing climate change, dwindling resources, disease, and human interference. In bringing back the dire wolf, which went extinct 13,000 years ago, the company sequenced the dire wolf’s complete DNA from fossils.
That was compared to its closest living cousins, the physically smaller gray wolf. Next, using CRISPR technology, they edited the gray wolf’s genome to change its facial features, coat characteristics, and body size to represent the ancient dire wolf.
Those cells were cloned and fertilized in vitro to produce embryos that were implanted in surrogate dog mothers to produce the three hybrid puppies. Critics charge correctly that these are not dire wolves but a grey wolf with several dire wolf genes. So, these are not true de-extinctions. But they are innovative synthetic creations and could pave the way for recreating the real thing. It would be a Herculean task, but may one day help preserve the animals we have left.
More Information
Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences: De-Extinction Project
The fight to preserve and restore Earth’s diminishing biodiversity is not a problem exclusive to the past. It is a modern problem. And, without intervention, it will pervade our future, too.
Making Extinction a Thing of the Past
On October 1, 2024, for the first time in human history, Colossal successfully restored a once-eradicated species through the science of de-extinction. After a 10,000+ year absence, our team is proud to return the dire wolf to its rightful place in the ecosystem.
The story of dire wolves goes beyond de-extinction
Genetic tools used to create the fluffy, white pups could be used to help at-risk animals
This company claimed to ‘de-extinct’ dire wolves. Then the fighting started
Colossal’s bold announcements have drawn criticism from many scientists, but the billion-dollar firm is not backing down.
